Homemade Abs Bench

Do you really need an abs bench? There are plenty of exercises for abs that require no equipment, just a floor.

But I like variety in my workouts, and I like to make equipment, so I thought I could make something similar to this:

I had to sacrifice another piece of equipment to make the abs bench. I had two leg extension/curl attachments, one Ironmaster and one Powertec. The Ironmaster horizontal one piece bench does not provide good leverage during the leg extension motion. The best leg extension machines have a seat that declines slightly backwards, such as the Powertec, so I sacrificed the Ironmaster leg extension to make the pulley system for the homemade abs bench:

The hardest part was cutting up the Ironmaster leg extension. I did not have a power cutoff wheel, so I used a hacksaw instead....what an arm workout!

What you are looking at in the above photo is the pivot point of the Ironmaster leg extension. I added a garage door pulley found at most hardware stores. I had to fabricate the "U" shaped piece of metal that holds the cable onto the pulley. To keep the pulley in place I cut two 1/2" pieces of PVC to act as spacers:

The cable and attaching hardware can also be purchased from Home Depot, Ace, etc:

To use this machine I just connect one end of the cable to my Powertec power rack lat tower, and the other end attaches to the pulley attached to my Ironmaster Super Bench. Using the Body Solid ACH18 Abs Crunch Harness makes the whole motion smooth and comfortable so I can concentrate on my abs. I can even brace my feet on one of the Ironmaster Super Benches legs, so I can really squeeze my abdominals.

Conclusion

Since making this abs bench, I actually look forward to doing my abs workout. I do a set of 15 reps on the homemade abs bench, then immediately do a set of at least 25-35 reps on the ab coaster, then repeat. I can definitely feel it the next day!

No abs bench new or homemade will give you ripped or washboard abs without following an abs diet. You probably have a great six pack, but it might just be covered by a pesky layer of fat. Check out this bodybuilding diet plan.